An Uncomfortable Conversation
by diva.gonzo
Summary: Three days after the Battle of Hogwarts, and Neville corners Harry. He's got something to tell him about the reign of terror the past year at Hogwarts. What he has to say is not for the faint of heart. No slash, and doses of H/G and appearance by R/Hr. (Wish there still was an MA for dark content. Explanations of violence and abuse; nothing shown; Special guest appearance as well)
1. By Magic and all I hold Dear

An Uncomfortable Conversation

Ch. 1 - By magic and All I hold dear…

'Had it really only been one day?' thought Harry in the fog of the aftermath. Two days since the three of them broke into Gringott's, stole the chalice of Helga Hufflepuff, escaped on the back of a dragon, raced to Hogwarts via Hogsmeade, fought, lived, died, lived again? If he hadn't accomplished all of it, he would laugh and call it a children's fairy tale.

One day since he, once and for all, destroyed his nemesis, and found that he would have a life after that one moment. The nightmare was finally over, and the new one just beginning. One day since the world changed. Such a brave new world, full of wonder and fear.

He stood in the back of the Great Hall, watching his adopted family congregate at the front, watching in grief the middle child, the trickster named Fred, encased in his coffin, draped in wildflowers. Today was the day that Fred would be going home, to his unfortunate resting place at the Burrow. Arthur was there, holding Molly to keep her from crumbling. He saw Bill on the other side, holding his wife Fleur, and his Mum too. Percy was standing back behind them, resting his hands on his mother's shoulders, his pain obvious from his slouch. Even his best mate Ron was there, one hand holding Hermione's and with the other holding Ginny to his chest while she cried.

The worst though was George, lying upon the top of the casket, wailing away his broken soul. Harry distantly wondered if George would survive Fred very long. For a brief moment, he thought that he would have traded his life so Fred could have lived. He bitterly laughed, knowing that he already made his choice. He had to live now.

Ginny was the one he needed the most now, but he had been bounced around between everyone else save the one he wanted and needed. There was the meeting with Kingsley after the Golden Trio, as the wizarding media referred to them, to discuss what needed to happen immediately. That took forever. He eventually crashed in a bed, not remembering anything for the next twelve hours.

When he awoke, there was a plate of sandwiches for him, a jug of pumpkin juice, and a whole cake. That meal didn't last long. A hot shower and some fresher clothes did nothing for his weariness. He didn't care about anything else except his Ginny. He hoped that she would be his Ginny again. He had gone to look for her that evening, but didn't find her anywhere. His walk through the castle that night, unable to sleep any longer, reminded him of those first nights he came home, to Hogwarts, when he would look out the window onto the lake. He was home, and yet still so alone.

Even now, standing at a distance watching his adopted family grieving, he didn't want to burden them further with his guilt and grief. If he could, he would disappear and return later. There was still so much to do, and yet he now had time to help do it.

Harry turned around, and ran into Neville. He still looked exhausted, battleworn, encumbered.

"Harry!"

"Neville. What are you doing up already?"

"Couldn't fall asleep. Can we talk?"

"What's up?"

"I need to talk with you privately."

"What's going on? Who needs me now?" he retorted painfully. "I thought I took care of everyone I needed to talk to yesterday."

"Not here, Harry. Up in the common room?"

Before he could look around, he felt a small hand slip into his, squeezing it warmly. He knew this hand without having to confirm what he knew in his heart. Her scent was an olfactory ray of sunshine, and better than any firewhiskey. Strawberries, and sunshine, with a dash of broom polish. His amortentia.

The three friends walked back to the Gryffindor common room, looking to make sure that they were alone. Away from the Great hall, it was even quieter. The only noise was the wind blowing in through the occasional decimated window. Once the families left yesterday, the castle was almost too quiet.

"Neville, what is going on that we need to talk privately?"

"Not yet. I want to get inside where it's private."

"What's going on Neville? What's so important?"

Neville glanced over his shoulder, looking desolate. He continued walking without replying.

That was all he said as they continued the trek to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry looked down at Ginny, seeing her auburn hair shine in the occasional patch of sunlight. Her expression was as haunted as Neville looked.

Harry looked back at Neville. He had changed since he first saw him three days ago, and even more so since the end of last year. He had changed since the last time Harry saw him, almost a year ago. This wasn't the shy humble boy of 11, hunting his frog and not remembering what his grandmother told him. This was a man, a defender of the manor, and confident in his responsibilities. He was a man in every regard. That said, he looked fragile, in need of support, of contrition, of solace.

They made their way into the room, finding the chairs and sofas in front of the fireplace. Half a week into May and the walls held a chill that the roaring fire held back. Harry and Ginny took the couch, while Neville settled into the overstuffed chair with his back to the door. His eyes were shadowed from lack of sleep, bruised from defending the castle, and those who lived here. A scar ran down the side of his face. 'How did that happen?' wondered Harry.

"There's something you need to know, before anything else happens. Something that you will not like when I tell you. It can't go past this room, at least for now."

Harry felt the first vestiges of panic. "What Neville?"

Neville looked at Ginny. She wasn't paying attention, just gazing out the window into the night. He knew she was listening, since her hand was firmly ensconced Harry's hand. "While you were out hunting down the Horocruxes, there was a reign of terror here at the school. Snape let the Carrows do almost anything want, including abusing the students at times. Ginny, Luna, and I were the leaders of the resistance, and decided to stand up to them. The nightmare started the first day we were back."

Neville took a deep breath, finding the courage to continue. "At first, it was nothing more than petty taunts. They really were quite thick. But they were here to indoctrinate. At first, Snape was able to keep them under control, letting the head of houses discipline us. That changed after we tried to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. The abuse started then."

Neville sat up, and stripped off his grubby jumper, along with the t-shirt underneath it. He turned around, demonstrating the scars along his back and arms, showing off the ones on his chest too. The lash marks on his shoulders, and the curse burns on the back of his arms were evident still.

"I didn't want you to worry while you were out saving us, Harry. You didn't need to be distracted from what we were suffering when you showed up."

Ginny squeezed his hand, again.

"What aren't you telling me, Neville? I can see that you're hiding something."

Neville took his time putting back on his tee shirt and jumper. His reticence was causing Harry panic.

Ginny squeezed his hand again, and let go.

"He wasn't the only one who was abused, Harry," she whispered quietly.

He looked over, shocked at the admission. She stripped the shirt off of her body, trying to maintain a shred of modesty while showing her own scars. She held the flimsy jumper to her chest, hiding her breasts from view. Only now did he notice the ones around her wrists, the faded writing on her arms, and even lash marks on her lower back. The lash marks were still angry, even if they weren't recent. They criss-crossed, looking like a broken chess board. "Who?" was all he could ask before the rage took him over. She shrugged back into her shirt.

"The Carrows. That whipping was right after Christmas. I wouldn't harm a first year for their insolence, so they stood me on the dais in the front of the Great Hall, and whipped me. Once they finished, they wouldn't allow any healing. I was made an example of." She whispered as the tears started to fall. "Snape stood there watching, and his only consideration was that I wasn't stripped completely before the whole hall of students."

"Oh G_d Ginny!" he wept as he took her into his arms, feeling her begin to sob. "Do your parents know?"

"No. I hide them with glamour charms. They don't need to know yet. Maybe one day soon, but not yet."

"There's more Harry," interjected Neville. "I hope you won't hate me for it."

"What can make me hate you Neville?" he responded, quite painfully. "You led the resistance here, protecting the ones who were the focus of the onslaught. You stood up to those monsters. How could I hate you when you did what I couldn't?"

Neville sat there a second, gathering his thoughts, while Ginny was still quietly weeping in his arms. He looked at her, waiting for her approval. She saw his inquisitive glance, and gave her nod. She burrowed further into Harry's arms.

"Part of my protection of her included her honor, Harry. We had to let everyone here believe that I was shagging her and Luna. McGonnagall was in on it, from the first time we were sent to her. She knew that Ginny was a target from the first day. All of us who weren't in Slytherin were targets. But we didn't do anything, by my Magic and all that I hold dear. It just looked like that to everyone else." Neville choked on his last statement.

"Seamus and Dean took an Unbreakable vow, to protect her and Luna best. Anyone and everyone from fifth year on up promised to protect her as best as possible. Everyone in Gryffendor and DA knew about the two of you. I told them the truth the first day. We wouldn't be men if we didn't stand up for the women and girls here. Sorry, Ginny, but you can call me a chauvinist, but you know I'm right."

Harry felt her nod from her seat on his lap. It didn't stop her silent sobbing.

"We let them catch us once in a broom closet, and let them think we were shagging. It was all for show, including letting McGonagall punish us again. Snape made her paddle Ginny in front of everyone. They loved making an example of her. They said that she was a Blood traitor, and not worthy of protection. Once she took her welts, The Carrows said that Purebloods women were to be chaste for their marriage, and were prohibited from acting that way."

"It wasn't just resistance to their insanity. It was our way to fight back as best as possible." He looked down, letting shame roll across his face. "That is why Ginny was helping us lead the resistance. Her honor was at stake. We couldn't let anything happen to her. So we hid those facts in plain sight."

Harry looked at Neville, seeing the anguish in his face. How could he be mad at his friend who tried everything to protect the love of his life? Harry could only shake his head, realizing how monumentally stupid he had been, thinking that Ginny would be safe at school. "How fucking stupid could I have been?" he asked rhetorically. "I thought breaking up with you would protect you. I should have known better."

"Seamus knew what I was doing – which was nothing. Rumors are easily manipulated, and let people believe what they want. People seeing us at meals let them think what they want. It didn't work – and there were attempted attacks on her, Luna, heck, any and all of the girls."

Ginny pulled her face from Harry's soaked jumper, looking up at him through her red rimmed bloodshot eyes. "Seamus and Lavender took up the mantle of resistance within the first week. That mad little Irishman has bollocks of steel, taunting them in class. Lavender, even as a pureblood and protected, told the Carrows in Muggle studies that Amycus wasn't fit to spit shine your boots. Once Michael Corner and Terry Boot were brought into the Hospital wing because they wouldn't toe the party line, they joined back into DA. Even that craven ponce Zachariah Smith joined up."

Neville jumped back into the conversation. "Around the middle of October, two fifth year Slytherins tried to ambush her. That fireball you're holding escaped after petrifying them on the floor leading to the Dungeons. Snape never did find out who did that to those gits. They said it was her, but she questioned how she could disarm and immobilize both of them non-verbally. After that, everyone left her alone for the most part. Those freaks still taunted, but that was expected by then. The other professors tried to protect everyone as best as possible."

Neville squirmed in his chair, looking apprehensive. "I'll be right back. I need water."


	2. There's more Madness

Ch. 2 There's more madness

Harry sat on the couch, holding a shaking Ginny. She had been too quiet for his tastes, too reserved that was completely out of character for her. Before he could ask, Neville returned.

"Things changed when Luna didn't return from Christmas hols. That left the mantle on me 'n Ginny. It got harder to protect the students. They were getting tired of being locked in the school, with no activities off the campus. More students were coming to us to want to fight back, or tended to if they were injured."

"After the start of Spring Term, Crabbe and Goyle tried to attack her, and she left them withering in the hallway from the Great Hall. From what was said, it was like getting kicked in the bollocks by a Centaur. She still doesn't know what she did to them. One minute, they had her pinned against the stone wall, and the next they were crumpled down the hallway looking for their John Thomas."

"All I could do was run, and I did," hiccupped Ginny. "I think I hid in my bed most of that weekend. Dobby brought me meals there, or in the common room. I was so scared."

Neville looked on her, sitting nestled in Harry's lap. She hadn't moved since crawling there after the first admission. He saw her strength, and continued onward. "I still think you did some kick arse wandless magic with those wankers."

She looked at him from her seat in Harry's lap, glaring at him. "I told you I don't know what happened to them."

"It's fine. I know you don't know what happened. But that still was amazing that you did something." Neville looked over at Ginny. "They tried again the first week of March, but even with four of them, she still got the best of them. Unfortunately, she didn't escape uninjured that time. Show him Gin."

Ginny pulled at her beautiful auburn locks, and showed Harry the scar, which ran from behind her ear to the back of her head. Only her long hair hid it so well.

"Pavarti and Lavender healed her as best as possible. She's fortunate that those bastards were sloppy. They could have easily taken her ear off, or worse. We wanted to take her to Madame Pomfrey, but she was by then only allowed to treat the Slytherin students. Anyone else who was injured or hurt had to suffer."

"So much blood that I passed out before Neville could get me into the tower," whispered Ginny. "When I did wake, Seamus, Lav, and Neville were there, along with the Creavy brothers. They were scared I wasn't going to wake."

Neville took another sip of water from his glass, and continued.

"Ginny was back in class the next morning, pissed off at anyone not wearing maroon and gold or in DA. The rest of us were fighting as best as possible in every way. Snape even got them to curtail their antics after he received a note from someone that if they continued, it would turn bloody. He didn't bother to say who the student was who left him the note. He probably didn't want to admit that it was one of the professors who wrote it."

Ginny shifted on Harry's lap, and looked down on her. He was ashamed that he doubted her, and broke up with her to protect her, when he hadn't protected her in the very least. She was stronger than he thought, and he broke thinking that he doubted her.

"Everything changed the first week of April after you were caught and escaped Malfoy Manor."

"How did – "

"All of us were in Dark arts class, and in walked Alecto. She grabbed Ginny by the hair, and yanked her out of her chair, dragging her into the hallway. I think the whole castle heard her screaming. I got up to protect her, and Amycus backhanded me into the wall. I couldn't tell you how we got there, but I vaguely remember hearing kids screaming, and feeling some steps on my back. I think they drug me up the stairs to Snape's office. The next thing I know I was chained to a chair." Neville began to weep, "Ginny, I am so sorry, but I have to tell him."

Ginny began to shake to her toenails, and Neville wept harder, even as his voice broke.

"When they woke me, Amycus backhanded me again. I know I broke something, because I spit out a ton of blood and a tooth. I looked, and there was Alecto along with Snape. Smarmy bastard was cool as a merman behind the desk. You'd think he was inspecting his potion bottles for the emotion on his face."

Harry nodded once. He understood now how precarious Snape's position was. Those memories helped clarify the path of daggers he had to walk. "Neville, what happened?" Harry whispered, afraid to know the answer, and the truth. "Please, just tell me."

Neville had his head down, trying to breathe. Sitting there on the chair, and yet he was wheezing like he ran up the Astronomy tower.

"They were trying to find out where you had escaped to. We told them we didn't know anything. We didn't know a thing, and they were screaming at Ginny. Sure we'd heard rumors, but that had been months ago the last time anyone had heard a whisper of you. They assumed that Ginny had been in contact with you all year. I knew better," said Neville bitterly. "It's not like our post wasn't inspected, and everything read going in and out."

Neville caught his breath, still wheezing from hyperventilating. The noise rattled around the room.

"Snape asked again. When she said she didn't know anything, Amycus hit me. Snape asked me, and when I refused, they slapped her. Snape was interrogating us both, using the Carrows to beat us into submission. It wasn't working. I don't know how Ginny didn't have a broken jaw from it all. The last one was so hard that Snape had to heal the bitch when her wrist broke. Poor Ginny was almost unconscious with how hard that wench Alecto was slapping her face."

Harry felt the bile growing behind the boulder of a lump in his throat. These two made him look like a prat when it came to courage.

"Finally, Snape got sick of our denials and stood there looking at us. We're bleeding, and the ruddy bastard stands there like he's evaluating a potion. Then he turned to Amycus, and nodded. You'd think that the Carrows were about to get Christmas again the way they were hooting and laughing."

Harry looked down, and Ginny was doing her best to hide under his skin. About the only thing he saw was Ginny's head poking out from the crook of his neck, shaking so hard his teeth hurt. Neville wiped his face on his sleeve, trying to temper his emotions to continue. Harry knew she was still sobbing, since his jumper was getting soaked.

"They stuck a wand at my throat and told me if I hit her, I could leave. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I promised her that I would stand by her, and I meant it. They asked me again, and I still wouldn't do it. They tried again, and I still refused. They even slapped her around to get one of us to talk. Neither of us knew anything and they didn't believe it."

Neville was shaking harder, looking like he was haunted. "What happened Neville?" Harry had to coax him to continue.

"We kept denying it, and they wouldn't believe us. That wasn't enough for those maniacs. They said that since I was a pureblood I was given the opportunity to prove my innocence. They tried to put me under the Imperius curse, but I kept throwing it off. They surprised me and cast it on her. She couldn't shake it, as hard as she tried. I knew it by the way her eyes looked. Her hands shook so bad from fighting it. I screamed for her to shake it, but she couldn't hear me through the spell. Ginny, don't hate me for failing you."

Harry looked down at her, seeing the top of her head just trembling, quaking in grief.

"They said that there was a better class of girl in the school for me to pick from," disgust coated Neville's voice. "They said that even if Ginny was a pureblood, she was a known blood traitor. They questioned my sanity by associating with a traitor. So they did the unthinkable. They silenced me while I was chained so I couldn't protest what came next. While under the Imperius curse, they made her do things …"

Neville's voice broke, hands shaking in anger, jaw working to control his temper. "They called her a slag, and made such nasty comments about her. But I couldn't do anything to protect her. I closed my eyes, but I couldn't close my ears to the vile things they were saying. The horrible part is that I couldn't control myself, and they laughed at me, and us. I hate myself that they made her do that, to her and us."

Harry dashed for the loo intending to vomit the disgust he heard. He didn't make it, and left a pile of sick in the corner of the common room. He whisked away the mess, and cleaned his hands on the torn curtain in the corner. He walked back, and not a second passed before Ginny crawled back into the safety of his lap.

Neville waited until Harry nodded for him to continue. He didn't think he could control what he said if he gave voice to his thoughts.

"When I opened my eyes again, Ginny was standing there in the middle of the room, looking lost. They had removed the curse off of her, and she just stood there. She saw me chained and silenced on the wall, and didn't understand for that brief second she was free. The next, she was crumpled on the ground, screaming. They tortured her, and making me watch them do it was mine. I shut my eyes. I couldn't watch. I had seen too much. I was powerless to stop them, I was hurting so bad. She wailed each time. Umbridge was nothing compared to those sick freaks. But I hurt worse that I couldn't protect her."

Neville took a gulp of water. He was struggling to finish. "After the second time, this time by both of those sick freaks, Snape told them to stop. They looked like someone took away their favorite toy."

Neville choked back a sob, watching Ginny writhe in anguish at the retelling of the story. "That wasn't the end of it, however. Alecto wanted to chain her back to the wall, but Snape said that the brat wouldn't bother them. They left her there on the floor to watch while they whipped me. But it was either submit to that, or watch them rape her. I wouldn't let that happen for any reason. So I had to listen to her moaning while I took those lashes. Those lashes hurt. She didn't really notice, she was half dead at that point, from all of the curse damage. I'm glad she didn't really see it happen. I know if she did, she would have been hurt worse for trying to fight them further."

Harry looked down. Ginny had quit shaking. "Ginny? You there."

She looked up at him and she was weeping behind fiendfyre eyes. She nodded, then put her nose back into his threadbare jumper.

"When they finished with me, they left me bleeding on the floor. Alecto turned to Ginny, intending to whip her too. By then, it was madness instead of an interrogation. Snape stepped in. 'She's almost dead. You kill the youngest Weasley, and there will be hell to pay, from the Dark Lord and her parents. Leave her and get out.'"

"They left. I looked Snape in the eyes, and he saw my rage. He just stood there, impassive. 'Stupid Gryffindors. Put your clothes on, and get out.'"

Harry shook, realizing how far the terror had gone. "What had I left her to?" he cried silently.

"Neither one of us was in any shape to leave, but I managed to put my trousers back on. I searched frantically for the rest of our clothes, finding them strewn all over his office. When I went to get Ginny, she was curled in a ball on the floor and out of it. So I did what any stupid Gryffindor would do – I wrapped her in my cloak to cover her, and carried her out of there."

"Out in the hallway was most of DA. They escorted us back to the Common room. Michael Corner tried to take her off my hands, but I wouldn't hear it. It would have been funny if he wasn't sporting a badly bruised face also."

"McGonagall was there when we got to the common room. Lavender ran for her when Ginny was dragged from the classroom. One look at the both of us, and you'd think she was about to turn into a dragon. She went with us up the dorm, and set about healing my back. My back was easily healed: a pain potion and some dittany did wonders. Ginny on the other hand took longer."

Neville continued. "She stayed with us that night, in my dorm, keeping a night watch on us. By the early morning, I was better, but Ginny was still out of it. Her face was a mess, her wrists were bruised, but even in pain, she didn't want to wake. McGonagall said that curse reactions take strength of mind to overcome it, and she didn't want to rush it. She told me to go to class, and that she'd have an elf come up and stay with her the day."

Neville's face turned hard. "When I came up that evening after dinner, Ginny was up, showered, hurting, and in a rage. The bruises on her face and wrists and under her eyes only made her look angrier. It took all I could to keep her there in the tower because she was ready to kill Alecto with her bare hands. If we could have gotten away with it, I would have let her."

"Oh G_d, Neville!" he took his friend in his embrace, along with Ginny. "I can never thank you enough for standing up to those bastards. Thank you for saving her!" as Harry wept with them. "I can't be mad at you, or for her."

"Let me finish, Harry, please."

Harry sat back on the couch, watching his friend slowly break. He didn't know how much more he could tolerate. Merlin knew how much more Neville endured.

"I panicked once Easter break was over, and Ginny didn't return. Luna had been gone since Christmas, and I knew that if Ginny was gone, there wasn't much I could do. It was enough that they were trying to break us. Sure there was taunting, and other humiliations from them, but the attacks on the students were getting worse. Up until then, there was a truce, limiting harsh discipline to sixth years and up. Two days after Easter hols, I was being chased, and ran in the Room of Requirement to hide. Those maniacs started turning on the other Gryffindor students, like Seamus and Lavender, and even Cormac. They targeted that arrogant buffoon too. Slowly, the rest of the students made it in here. Those who stayed out… I couldn't protect them."

Harry was quiet, not realizing the implications.

"Before I went into hiding, we told everyone to follow the rules to the letter, so they could avoid the worst of it. We told all of them, one way or another, that if anyone was going to break any rules, we would, and keep them from being hurt. It was a nightmare here, and I was mad at myself for being cornered in here and not standing up still to their madness. Unfortunately, the other students took the brunt of the abuse at that point. We were almost broken when you showed up three days ago. None of us wanted to face that pain again. It was – Lavender, Colin, the others who were caught."

Neville finally broke, sobbing painfully. All they would understand through his wails was "I couldn't save them. I just couldn't save them."

Harry sat there, watching his friend succumb to the grief and anguish. Ginny let go of Harry, and crawled into Neville's lap, holding him as best as possible. Harry sat, stunned, at his friend's admissions, and seeing their heartbreak.

He looked back at the doorway, and saw Ron, Hermione, and Luna standing there, watching the heartbreak unfold. Hermione was weeping as well as Ron, and Luna looked like a woman on fire. The raw magic rolling off of them cascaded through the room. He knew they had been standing there a while. The fury on Ron's face was painful to see.

They came into the common room, finding another couch to sit on. All of them needed one another in comfort and grief to cope.

Minerva stood in the doorway, watching the six friends huddled in the common room. The ones who fought against one another, with each other, and against the world, sobbing on one another as the magnitude of the situation finally hit home. She had heard enough, between the nightmares and the torments they all endured. Maybe the news she brought would suffice for them for now.

"Uh hum"

Six sets of red rimmed eyes looked up at her. Her brave Gryffindor students, some of the best people she had the pleasure of knowing, regarded her from the room. They might not be her children, but she still counted them as her own. They earned her respect.

"I apologize for interrupting, but I thought you might be here. I wanted to let you know that Kingsley sent an owl this morning. It's in regards to the Carrows. Alecto is dead. It seems that while she was stupefied in the Ravenclaw common room, someone hung her from the ramparts. When the Aurors found her, she had almost suffocated. She was taken to St. Mungo's, but they couldn't save her. No one there noticed that someone had shoved a Puking pustule down her throat along with a ton tongue toffee in there as well. When they cast the first diagnostic spell, she started hemmoraging and her tongue swelled where they couldn't get the blood out. She suffocated right in front of their eyes."

Four sets of eyes looked on her in confusion, and the others in understanding.

"And Amycus? What about that bastard?" whispered Ginny from Harry's lap.

"He won't be fit to stand trial. He's now in St. Mungo's in their Spell Damage Ward. When Gawain Roberts, the head of the Aurors, found him with his sister, he was laughing hysterically and covered in blood. The healers there say that somehow, he badly cast a tickling jinx, and it backfired. It was so powerful that it tore his mind asunder. No one could test his wand, since it was broken."

Six sets of eyes looked at one another then at her. Their faces conveyed no emotion.

Hermione spoke up. "Thank you for the news, Professor. We'll rest better knowing that they won't hurt another soul again."

Neville stood up from his place on the couch, and walked to the interim Headmaster. "Would you ask Kingsley to move my parents then? Criminals should not be anywhere near the heroes my parents are."

"I shall Fire call him immediately, and have them moved to a private room. It's the least I can do for the General of Dumbledore's Army."

Neville nodded once and returned to his chair by the fire. McGonagall turned on her heel and left, smiling where her brave warriors couldn't see her. She didn't want them to know the glee she took from what happened to those monsters. 'It serves them right,' she thought as she exited the Gryffindor common room.


End file.
